Hochschule Offenburg's academic offerings impress State Parliament Representative Maren Seifert

Shortly before the start of the 2026–27 winter semester, Maren Seifert (Alliance 90/The Greens), a member of the state parliament representing the Offenburg district, Maren Seifert (Alliance 90/The Greens), met with Rector Prof. Dr. Stephan Trahasch to learn about the latest figures on applications and students, as well as the current range of programs offered by Hochschule Offenburg. The Green Party politician was particularly impressed by the diversity of the overall attractive program offerings. As the conversation continued, the focus shifted to new English-language bachelor's programs such as Mechanical Systems Engineering. These programs are primarily intended to help secure a skilled workforce in the region. However, more students also means that more housing is needed for them—especially for international students. A visit to the graphic design studio and a conversation with two students who were designing costumes for a fashion show rounded out the discussion of the program and demonstrated to the visiting guests the importance of creativity in higher education.

Stephan Trahasch then explained to Maren Seifert the very positive developments in research and technology transfer. Hochschule Offenburg secured nearly 11 million euros in third-party research funding in 2025. This solidifies its position as one of the state’s leading research-intensive universities. Across a total of eleven research institutes, university faculty and staff are developing solutions to current challenges through collaborative projects with businesses and the community. Key areas of focus include: innovative and sustainable product and process development, sustainable energy systems, and secure, autonomous, and AI-based systems. To bring the results back to where they are needed—the business community—the University and the city even hired a joint transfer manager this year, Dr. Pascale Müller.

Finally, the discussion turned to the question of how to further raise the University’s profile in the city of Offenburg as a whole. “The Hochschule Offenburg offers an impressive range of degree programs and is vital to our region. I hope that student life will become even more visible and tangible in the city in the future. The State Garden Show, with its gardens right next to the university campus, offers a great opportunity for this,” said Maren Seifert.